In
the race to succeed Sen. Hollings, Rep. Jim
DeMint (R) prevailed with 857,167 votes to 704,384 votes for Democrat
Inez Tenenbaum and 35,670 votes for others (53.67% to 44.10% and 2.23%).
Bob Inglis (R) easily won in the
open 4th CD.

2004
OverviewBush won with a plurality
of 276,275 votes (17.08 percentage points). Bush won 31 counties
to 15 for Kerry.

Past Results

1996

Dole (Rep.).............573,458

(49.79)

Clinton (Dem.)........506,283

(43.96)

Perot (Ref./Pat.).......64,386

(5.59)

Others (3)..................7,562

(0.66)

Total........1,151,689

1992

Bush (Rep.).............577,507

(48.02)

Clinton (Dem.)........497,514

(39.88)

Perot (Petition)......138,872

(11.55)

Others (3)..................6,634

(0.55)

Total........1,202,527

2000

Gore/Lieberman
(Dem.)

565,561

(40.90)

Phillips/Frazier (Const.)

1,682

(0.12)

Nader/LaDuke (Un.Cit.)

20,200

(1.46)

Buchanan/Foster (Ref.)

3,519

(0.25)

Hagelin/Goldhaber (NLP)

942

(0.07)

+Bush/Cheney
(Rep.)

785,937

(56.84)

Browne/Olivier (Lib.)

4,876

(0.35)

Total........1,382,717

2000
OverviewSouth Carolina, the scene
of such great activity during the Republican presidential primary in February,
saw a very quite campaign on the presidential level in the fall.
None of the principals visited. Bush carried the Palmetto State with
a comfortable plurality of 220,307 votes (15.94 percentage points).
Bush won 31 counties to 15 for Gore. Heath Thompson ran Republicans'
Victory 2000 effort; Remle Beard was Gore-Lieberman state director.
One issue on the ballot that did generate considerable debate was Amendment
1 to lift a ban on lotteries; it passed.

DemocratsIn its Feb. 12, 2002 meeting, the executive council of the South Carolina
Democratic Party decided to hold the primary on Feb. 3, 2004. The
primary was run by the state party, which had to man about 1,600 polling
places. Dick Harpootlian, then chair of the SCDP, estimated the cost
to run the primary at between $400,000 and $500,000.

Qualifying: File with
the SCDP between December 19, 2003 (9:00 a.m.) and January 2, 2004 (5:00
p.m.). Filing fee of $2,500 is required, or "submit a petition containing
the names of no fewer than 3,000 registered voters in South Carolina who
consider themselves Democrats."

Participation: "Open
to all voters who wish to participate as Democrats." Voters were
to have signed the following statement: "I do solemnly swear or affirm
that I am a registered voter of this precinct, I consider myself to be
a Democrat, and I have not participated in the 2004 Presidential nominating
process of any other political party." However, considerable controversy
sprang up about this oath and SCDP Chairman Joe Erwin ultimately rescinded
it less than two days before the vote. A voter must have been registered
for 30 days prior to the primary.